DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 1 and 11 recite the limitation “the flexible circuit board protrudes from the first opening space to avoid the flexible circuit board”. This feature is unclear because it is contradictory that the flexible circuit board avoids the flexible circuit board. In the specification, two adjacent first protrusions 12 form a first opening space 112 with the first side wall and a flexible circuit board 22 passes through the first opening space 112 to prevent the first protrusion 12 from colliding with the flexible circuit board 22 (paragraph [0056], figure 2). Based on this, the claim limitation will be interpreted to mean “the flexible circuit board protrudes from the first opening space to avoid the first protrusion” for examination purposes, as this is what applicant seems to have intended. Claims 2-10 and 12-20 are rejected based on their dependency.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4, 6-7, 9, 11-14, 16-17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Oohira (US 2008/0136995).
As to claims 1 and 11, Oohira discloses a display module (display illustrated in figure 15), comprising: a film (figure 15, upper diffuse sheet 16), comprising a first main body portion (see figure 20) and a plurality of first protrusions (figure 20, spacers 161, paragraph [0104]) extending from a first side edge of the first main body portion, with the first protrusions spaced apart (figure 20); a liquid crystal module, comprising a liquid crystal screen (figure 15, TFT substrate 1 and color filter substrate 2, paragraph [0102]) and a flexible circuit board (figure 15, flexible wiring substrate 3) fixedly connected to the liquid crystal screen (figure 15), wherein the liquid crystal screen is stacked with the film, and the flexible circuit board is bent from the first side edge (figure 15); and a frame (figures 15 and 23, frame 6), comprising a first side wall, wherein the first side wall faces the film and the liquid crystal module (figures 15 and 23), and a distance disposed between the first protrusion and the first side wall is less than a predetermined distance (not limiting since the predetermined distance is not defined); wherein an adjacent first protrusion forms a first opening space with the first side wall, and the flexible circuit board penetrates from the first opening space to avoid the first protrusion 161 (figure 23 interpreted in combination with figures 15 and 20).
As to claims 2 and 12, Oohira discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claims 1 and 11. Oohira further discloses in figure 23, wherein the first protrusion 161 is in contact with the first side wall.
As to claims 3 and 13, Oohira discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claims 1 and 11. Oohira further discloses a diffusion plate (figure 15, lower diffuse sheet 13, paragraph [0070]), located on one side of the film 16 away from the liquid crystal screen, which comprises a second main body portion and a plurality of second protrusions (spacer 131, paragraph [0094]) extending from a second side edge of the second main body portion, wherein the second side edge if flush with the first side edge (figure 2, side edges of optical sheets 13-16 are flush), and a distance disposed between the second protrusion 131 and the first side wall is less than a predetermined distance (not limiting since the predetermined distance is not defined), an adjacent second protrusions form a second opening space with the first side wall, the flexible circuit board 3 protrudes from the second opening space to allow the second protrusion to avoid the flexible circuit board (paragraph [0093] states “FIG. 12 shows an example of the upper diffuse sheet 16. Needless to say, the same applies to any other sheet, for example, the upper prism sheet”, implying that any of the optical sheets may have protrusions with the same arrangement as the upper diffuse sheet 16).
As to claims 4 and 14, Oohira discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claims 3 and 13. Furthermore, when the diffusion plate (lower diffuse sheet 13) has second protrusions with the same arrangement as film (upper diffuse sheet 16), the second protrusion would be in contact with the first side wall (similar to spacers 161 being in contact with the side wall in figure 23).
As to claims 6 and 16, Oohira discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claims 1 and 11. Oohira further discloses a first buffer (figure 15, light interceptive member 10, paragraph [0088]) provided on one side of the film 16 facing the liquid crystal screen, the film is connected to the liquid crystal screen through the first buffer.
As to claims 7 and 17, Oohira discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claims 1 and 11. Oohira further discloses wherein the frame comprises a second side wall (figure 2, resin mold 5, paragraph [0067]), wherein a second buffer (figure 2, light interceptive member 10) is provided on the second side wall, and the frame is connected to the liquid crystal screen through the second buffer.
As to claims 9 and 19, Oohira discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claims 3 and 13. Oohira further discloses a backboard (figure 15, backplate of frame 6) fixedly connected to the first side wall, and the flexible circuit board 3 is bent to a side of the backboard away from the diffusion plate 13.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 5 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oohira (US 2008/0136995) in view of Kim et al. (US 2016/0363803).
Oohira discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 1, but does not disclose wherein a number of flexible circuit boards is multiple, and the flexible circuit boards are spaced apart. However, this was a conventional structure as evidenced by Kim. Kim discloses in figure 1, multiple flexible circuit boards 530 and 540, wherein the flexible circuit boards are spaced apart. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Oohira wherein a number of flexible circuit boards is multiple, and the flexible circuit boards are spaced apart as disclosed by Kim, because conventional structures were known to be cost-effective and reliable.
Claims 8, 10, 18 and 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oohira (US 2008/0136995).
As to claims 8 and 18, Oohira discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claims 3 and 13, but does not disclose wherein a first adhesive layer is provided on one side of the diffusion plate facing the film, and the diffusion plate is fixedly connected to the film through the first adhesive layer. However, it was well known to fixedly connect optical sheets together in order to securely dispose them within the display housing. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Oohira wherein a first adhesive layer is provided on one side of the diffusion plate facing the film, and the diffusion plate is fixedly connected to the film through the first adhesive layer in order to securely dispose the diffusion plate and the film within the display housing.
As to claims 10 and 20, Oohira discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claims 9 and 19, but does not disclose a second adhesive layer is provided on one side of the backboard facing the diffusion plate, and the backboard is fixedly connected to the diffusion plate through the second adhesive layer. However, it was well known to fixedly connect an optical sheet to the backboard in order to securely dispose the optical sheet within the display housing. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Oohira wherein a second adhesive layer is provided on one side of the backboard facing the diffusion plate, and the backboard is fixedly connected to the diffusion plate through the second adhesive layer in order to securely dispose the diffusion plate within the display housing.
Conclusion
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/DAVID Y CHUNG/Examiner, Art Unit 2871